Call for Papers

“Don’t worry! We have it under control.”

Transnational expertise in environmental and health policy

Workshops on Environment and Security Series

August 28-29, 2015

Université Libre de Bruxelles

Theme of the workshop

Globalization has driven an increasing number of problems facing societies into the transnational domain. In this workshop, we hone in on the issue areas of the environment and human health. With impacts that often disregard national boundaries, the responsibility for addressing these issues falls to intergovernmental, regional, or transnational bodies. Our interest lies in unpacking how transnational expertise is brought to bear on these issues, and with what effects? By transnational expertise, we understand bodies of experts affiliated by issue area, background, or competencies that organize across national boundaries and engage on transnational or global issues.

The workshop will centre on the following key research question to investigate how transnational expertise looks and operates in complex, global environmental and health issues: How is transnational expertise mobilized in answering threats to ecosystems or human health?

This question opens up a number of considerations. For instance, what is the relationship between scientific knowledge and expertise? To what extent is transnational expertise on these issues characterized by consensus or contestation? How does power operate between experts and policymakers, and among experts themselves? Do experts thrive under conditions of complexity, or do they try to decrease it?

Workshop format

The workshop is part of the WES Series (Workshops on Environment and Security, see http://wes-series.ulb.ac.be/). The number of participants will be limited to 24, half of whom will be invited to submit full papers. Papers will be distributed before the event, and dedicated discussants will kick off in-depth group discussions of each paper. Authors will speak only at the closure of the one-hour group discussion of their paper. This format offers an opportunity for extensive discussions that provide authors with detailed feedback on their on-going research, and it allows participants to get acquainted in an informal setting.

Submissions of proposals

We invite contributions that speak to the themes and questions raised by this workshop. To submit a proposal, send a one-page summary and biographical notice by email to wes.brussels@gmail.com. Please also include your name, current address, and university or professional affiliations.

The deadline for proposals is: March 30, 2015

Accepted authors will be expected to submit full papers of maximum 8,000 words by:

August 1, 2015

Funding opportunities

There is no registration fee. Travel costs, meals and accommodation during the workshop will be covered for all participants.

Publication opportunities

The organizers intend to explore the opportunities for submitting a selection of papers as a special issue in a leading journal in the field.